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A Professor of Medicine at the University of Ilorin, Philip Manma Kolo, has advised Nigerians who have cultivated the habit of taking unorthodox medicines to stop doing so in the interest of their health.
Prof. Kolo gave this advice last while delivering the 236th Inaugural Lecture of the University of Ilorin, entitled “Power And the Failed Pump: Travails And Remedies for Broken Hearts” at the institution’s Main Auditorium.
Prof. Kolo, who is the Galadima Magani of Tsaragi in the Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, explained that it was wrong and harmful for patients to abandon drugs prescribed by certified medical practitioners for unorthodox ones for whatever reasons.
He added that the advice is even more important to and should be taken religiously by patients with hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases for them to live well.
Prof. Kolo, who vehemently discouraged the use of unprescribed drugs, was particularly emphatic on drugs like Tiansi and GNLD as well as bitter kola and snail waters that some patients often take instead of orthodox ones produced in hygienic conditions and confirmed to be good for human consumption by relevant health authorities.
The renowned medical scholar, who is also a former Head of the Department of Medicine, University of Ilorin, also implored government to enact a legislation that would allow individuals to donate their organs to patients in need.
He added that doing so would help in advancing the course of medicine particularly when the intending donors are involved in conditions causing brain death.
Prof. Kolo also urged concerned authorities to declare systemic hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus and other noncommunicable diseases as public health emergencies as he also called for efforts to be directed at community education on diet and lifestyle choices.
He added that patients with cardiovascular diseases should particularly stay away from cigarette smoking and ethanol abuse, which increase the risk of the breakdowns of their health conditions.
The Inaugural Lecturer also enjoined members of the public to take pre-hypertension and mid elevation in blood pressure seriously. He added that the two conditions should not be ignored but treated properly after individual’s risks have been fully assessed.
Prof. Kolo also encouraged health professionals to always give special considerations to offsprings of hypertensive parents. He added that such individuals should be considered as a special group that needs early assessment, hypertension screenings and monitoring for future cardiovascular events.
The foremost health educator, who is also an Associate Editor, Nigerian Postgraduate Medical Journal, appealed to the government at all levels to consider the possibility of establishing heart health institutions in all the six geopolitical zones of the country.
Prof. Kolo canvassed the need for the establishment of cardiac catherisation laboratories in major teaching hospitals in the country to address the prevalence cardiac diseases.
He also urged the government to provide defibrillators in public places to address cases of patients with cardiac arrests outside the hospital, saying that the facility is very essential.
Prof. Kolo similarly canvassed improved manpower training and retraining to provide expertise in the field of cardiovascular medicines and cardiothoracic surgery to meet the increasing needs for the services.
To help the designated professionals, Prof. Kolo also enjoined concerned authorities to also provide regular training of all hospital staff of other institutions to be able to offer first aid to patients with cardiac arrest.
Prof. Kolo also urged people to always offer psychological supports among families especially in those who have had recent losses such as loss of close relations, businesses and domestic violence.
The Inaugural Lecture was attended by eminent personalities including the Etsu Tsaragi, Alhaji Aliyu Kpowa Abdullahi; the Makaman Tsaragi, Alhaji Buhari Muhammad, as well as colleagues, students and relations of Prof. Kolo.
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